Kayla Kozak Wins IJGT Tournament of Champions

Over Memorial Day Weekend, many International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA) students traveled down to Florida to compete in the International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT)’s annual Tournament of Champions. The three-day, 54-hole event was hosted at Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., on May 28-30, 2016. Kayla Kozak of Bluffton, S.C., carded all three rounds at or below par to win the Girls Division by a decisive six strokes. Kozak fired 1-under 71s in the first and third rounds and an even-par 72 in round two to finish with a 2-under 214 tournament total. She recorded a division-best three eagles during the tournament on the par-5 15th hole in round one and the par-5 second hole in rounds two and three.

Ankita Kedlaya (4th), Angela Aung (T6), Jasmine Chee (T8) and Melany Chong (10th) also finished in the Top 10 in the Girls Division. Aung was the only other golfer in the Girls Division, besides Kozak, to card an eagle during the tournament. She made eagle on the par-5 second hole in the final round.

In the Boys 15-19 Division, Saptak Talwar fired a 2-under 70 in the final round to finish eighth. Aniruddh Kedlaya fired a career-best 4-under 68 in the second round. Konosuke Takahashicarded an eagle on the par-5 17th hole in round one on the way to his best tournament score, a 3-over 75.

Before the tournament, the IJGT hosted a Tournament of Champions banquet where they named the All-IJGT teams for each division.

Meanwhile, in Georgia, Haruka Shintani of Tokyo, Japan tied for second in the Girls Division of the AJGA Preview at Chateau Elan. The two-day, 36-hole event was hosted at Chateau Elan Resort in Braselton, Ga., on May 29-30, 2016.

Haruka Shintani

Alumni

Pablo Larrazabal finished 12th in the BMW PGA Championship. The European Tour event was hosted at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England, on May 26-29, 2016. In case you missed it, we recently caught up with Larrazabal. To read our interview, click here.